Nuno Mendes (born 1973)[1] is a London-based Portuguese chef, former executive chef at Chiltern Firehouse, London.
Nuno Mendes was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal.[2]
Mendes was trained at the California Culinary Academy in the 1990s, worked at elBulli,[3] and has worked with Wolfgang Puck, Rocco di Spirito, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.[4] In 2006, Mendes opened Bacchus, a gastropub in Hoxton, and later opened The Loft Project, from his own apartment in Shoreditch,[3] "where some of the best chefs cooked in front of guests, offering a pioneering and intimate experience".[4]
In 2010, Mendes opened Viajante (Portuguese for "traveller") in Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, inspired by world cuisines. In its first year it received a Michelin star and was included in the 2013 World's 50 Best Restaurants.[4] One critic said of the restaurant, "Nuno Mendes has brought a taste of El Bulli to the East End".[5] Giles Coren of The Times referred to Mendes as "every restaurant critic's secret favourite cook".[6]
In March 2022, Mendes opened a Portuguese restaurant, Lisboeta on Charlotte Street, London.[7]
Mendes has a daughter and twin sons, with his partner Clarise, a South African stylist.[1]